INCLUSION AND BELONGING

Experiences in the Newsroom

INCLUSION AND BELONGING

Experiences in the Newsroom

Diversity represents what backgrounds we bring into the newsroom. Inclusion and belonging show what experiences we have within the newsroom. Diversity is meaningless without equity, inclusion, and belonging. In the data and anecdotes below, we offer insight into what inclusion and belonging mean in the newsroom.

60 percent of student respondents stated that the ‘Prince’ was their first experience with journalism.

The Data

Inclusivity at the 'Prince'

Analyzing inclusivity through a gender breakdown, it is evident that for men and nonbinary folk, the most common category is ‘somewhat included’, versus ‘very included’ for women and cisgender folk.
The distribution of inclusion perspectives at the ‘Prince’ appears similar between FLI and non-FLI identifying students.
The most common choice for white respondents was ‘somewhat included’ or ‘very included.’ For Asian respondents, the most common choice was ‘neutral.’ For African American or Black respondents, the two most common choices were ‘neutral’ or ‘very included.’ For Hispanic or Latinx respondents, the most common choice was ‘very included.’ For ‘Mixed’ respondents, the two most common choices were ‘neutral’ or ‘somewhat included.’
The distribution of inclusion perspectives at the ‘Prince’ appears similar between those who identify as having a disability and those who do not. This may be affected by the small sample size of those who identify as having a disability.
Editors at the ‘Prince’ feel much more included than staffers on average. 51.67 percent of editors reported feeling ‘very included’, while 23.97 percent of staffers reported feeling ‘very included.’

Accessibility of Feedback

More respondents found avenues for feedback and suggestions ‘somewhat accessible’ than ‘very accessible.’

Support at the ‘Prince’

Overall, the majority of respondents feel ‘very supported’ to speak about mental health and ask to lower responsibilities, and to share opinions or ask questions during meetings. Additionally, the majority of respondents feel ‘very supported’ by both section-specific leadership as well as upper management.

Inclusivity of Coverage

The majority of respondents ‘somewhat agree’ that ‘Prince’ coverage on race, LGBTQ+, and disability is comprehensive and sensitive. However, the majority of respondents are ‘neutral’ towards how comprehensively and sensitively the FLI experience is covered.

Anecdotes

“I feel like there is not a lot of BIPOC representation, specifically black and brown. I also feel like every time I tried to get more involved, there was a lag time, so I always missed out on some hidden project.”

“Internally, despite more women editor positions, the team feels overwhelmingly white. I can imagine that a Black student would feel weird talking to the news editor, managing editors, and editor-in-chief about issues related to their identity, considering that no one identifies as Black and it'd feel like the all-too-familiar explanation they're raised to do.”

“It's precisely this delay — ideas like "maybe another time" or "when there's a better fit" — that continues to marginalize the communities we're trying to tackle.”

“I think it’s in part due to the social issues beyond the Orange Bubble relating more to other communities this year, but I think the ‘Prince’ can improve with regard to the Hispanic/Latino.a.x community.”

“[I] just haven't seen as much reporting about the trans experiences / anti-trans aspects of being a student at Princeton; it's still a relatively hostile environment.”

Hours spent per week at the ‘Prince’

The majority of staffers spent 1–3 hours a week on ‘Prince’-related work. 35 percent of editors spend between 5–8 hours on ‘Prince’-related work, and 20 percent of editors spend 10+ hours.